Yang Zhu met with Lao Tzu and asked:
— Is it possible to compare with the wise king a man who is quick-witted and decisive, insightful and far-sighted, who tirelessly studies the path?
“When compared to a wise man,” replied Lao Tzu, “such a person would look like a fussy little servant who trembles in the soul and tires the body in vain.” After all, they say: “The beauty of the tiger and leopard is a bait for hunters; the monkey is kept on a leash for its agility, and the dog for its ability to drive a yak.” How can such a thing be compared with a wise king?
- May I ask, how did the wise king rule? - Yang Zhu asked a question, his face changing.
- When a wise king ruled, successes spread throughout the entire Celestial Empire, and were not likened to his personal ones; the transformations reached everyone, but the people did not rely on the king; no one spoke his name, and everyone rejoiced in their own way. The king himself stood in the immeasurable and wandered in oblivion.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru